


Debts

by UnderCoverMarsupial



Series: Debts [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon?, F/M, Rare Pairings, Sex, eventually, no, two dumb kids, yes they do it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:53:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9863723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnderCoverMarsupial/pseuds/UnderCoverMarsupial
Summary: Things go wrong for Queen Amidala's plot to retake Naboo. She and young Zabrak with a terrible wound must escape Naboo, hide, and find a way to escape the attention of his Sith Master. And somewhere in all that they do it.





	

Padme withdrew her bloody hand from Mina’s throat. There was nothing she could do; the girl was dead. Peering around the corner, Padme checked left and right through the smoke to see if any droids were near. It seemed quiet in this wing of the palace now. Above her she heard another explosion and she ducked her head down again, a whimper escaping from her clenched teeth. She couldn’t stay here.

 Turning left down the corridor she scrambled for the servant’s stairs just past the empty plinth where her father’s statue had stood. She touched the stand lightly as she passed, leaving a bloody smear.

Down the stairs and through the servants’ kitchen and around the bay where the food was brought in, up a wide ramp for those droids who carried in the endless streams of food that fed the royal household. Beyond was a straight shot to the lower hangar.

“Please have a ship, please have a ship…” she whispered to herself as she stole along the wall, keeping low and peering ahead. At the opening to the hangar there were some overturned crates, a smashed service droid still spinning its servos as it tried to get up. Beside the crates was a pile of something, likely the contents of the crate. Padme crouched low and ran forward, throwing herself down behind the crates and panting lightly.

She looked around the side and saw that the hangar was empty. No ships. She crushed down the despair that rose up in her throat, threatening to choke her. She dropped her eyes and in doing realized that the pile of spilled goods was a body, propped up against the crates. With sharp inhale she recognized the black clad warrior from earlier. Was he dead? 

“No,” a harsh voice muttered. “I’m not dead. Yet.”

Padme’s heart climbed into her mouth and she let out a little grunt of surprise. Leaning around the crate again she found herself staring at the red and gold eyes. His face was splattered with blood and he was hunched over, holding a bundle of his cloak. Even though it was black Padme could see it was soaked in blood. He was dying then. She thought for a moment. How could she get to the other service hangar without going through the main part of the palace?

On cue another explosion rocked the palace, coming from up around the throne room again.

“Damn it damn it damn it. I have to get out of here.” Padme looked up again, to see if the way was clear, maybe she could head out on foot, drop into the canal and swim…

“The canal is watched,” the man said- “I already tried. On the other. Other side.”

“Why are you trying to leave? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your victory?” Padme spat. She scurried over to a service panel and tried to splice in with her usual codes. No luck. She needed information! She glanced back at the man again. Not a man, a Zabrak apparently.

“I failed,” he muttered weakly, answering her earlier question. “I am a dead man.” A hard grin wreathed his bloody face and Padme recoiled at the look.

“Where are you trying to go?” she asked, more out of curiosity than anything. She tried Senator Palpatine’s codes and got a partial entry on the data pad. She quickly scanned through the hangars. A ship, a ship. She needed a ship!

“I have a ship,” the Zabrak rasped and Padme whirled to face him.

“Its here. Cloaked. But I can’t.” He winced and his voice sank below what she could hear. She came closer to him, staying back enough in case he moved suddenly. Then the smell hit her. He had a gut wound. There was blood everywhere underneath him. Unless he got into a bacta tank right away he was as good as dead.

“I’ll make. A deal with you. Padme. Amidala.” He paused, his breath coming in little gasps.

“You want me to take you to your ship- and what? We just fly away for you to turn me over to your federation goons? Forget about it. Fuck you.”

The curse made him grin again.

“such a mouth… take me to my ship- and I will be your prisoner. Get me out of here. I give you. My word.”

“Why shouldn’t I just take your ship?”

“Cloaked. Security Codes- voice activated.” His eyes were closed now. Padme got to her feet. Forget this. Suddenly an alarm blared over the speakers of the datapad. Padme let out a little scream this time, feeling her nerves fraying raw.

“QUEEN AMIDALA. WE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. THE HANGAR IS SURROUNDED YOU MUST SURRENDER.”

Padme’s eyes widened and she spun around. How did they? - the codes. Of course.

“Fuck!”

“My ship. Please. Your prisoner.” The man was whispering now, but his feverish eyes were riveted on her. Padme cursed again then made the decision. It was her only chance.

She scrambled forward and slid next to him, sliding her arm around his back and levering upwards, trying not to slip in the blood. His cloak fell from his arms and Padme realized with a stomach turning glance that his guts were barely in his body. He was slashed hip to hip and only his arm was holding his innards where they should be. Padme looked away hastily and practically dragged the man into the hangar, the adrenaline giving her strength. He was able to help more than she thought, somehow _willing_ his feet to work.

“Where is your ship?” she asked through gritted teeth. They were half way across the hangar now.

“Here. Here. Stop.” He was gasping and wheezing but managed to pull himself upright slightly. He made a rough gesture with his other hand and snarled out a sequence of numbers she didn’t catch. Out of nowhere a door appeared to their right, a lowering ramp leading up into… nothing. A completely cloaked ship. He was sagging now, a low grunting coming from somewhere deep in his throat and Padme pulled herself together to drag him up and in.

Another sequence of numbers and the hatch closed behind them, just as the clatter of mechanical feet came loud and clear out of the corridor she had just left.

 “Through here. Bacta,” he groaned as she steered his shaking form in the direction his chin pointed. He reached out a hand to a datapad and tapped on it. A wall slid back, revealing a small med bay complete with bacta tank, a med droid just coming to glowing life beside it. It slid forward with a worried chirp and began to rip off sections of the man’s clothes, smoothly inserting wires and tubes even as it carried him into the tank. He lay slumped in the corner as the bacta filled up around him. Clearing fighting unconsciousness, he looked up at Padme.

“Ship. Hidden. Safe. Will stay, protect itself. We can launch after- after…” he lost his fight and his head fell forward into the surging bacta. The droid remotely shoved a breather over his mouth just as he started to float.

Padme sat back suddenly, her body limp and exhausted. Hidden. They were hidden. The ship was invisible. Undetectable. She was safe. For now.

“My lady, do you require medical assistance?” the droid asked, its tone solicitous. “The Master will heal enough to launch us and then we will float him properly. Do you need assistance?”

“No,” Padme said, looking down at the blood all over her clothes. It was Mina’s blood. And Obiwan’s. and…

“Is there a fresher? Maybe some clothes? This isn’t my blood.”

“Yes my lady, this way please.” The droid gestured down the short corridor and Padme clambered to her feet.

“Are we sure we cannot launch? Are you sure we are safe?” she asked, looking back at the tank with its unconscious occupant, his shredded clothes floating around him like weeds.

“Yes my lady. Scimitar can protect herself. And now that the master is on board Scimitar will not allow us to be harmed.”

“A remarkable ship…”

“Yes, my lady.”

The fresher was a blessing and while the clothes the droid brought her were too big, they were clean and dry. And black.  
I wonder if he wears any other color? Padme asked herself as she made her way back towards the small med bay.

The Zabrak was still unconscious but a thin layer of new skin was already covering the gaping wound in his midsection, and the bacta was clear of blood. She checked the read outs- he was alive, and they would keep him under for another two hours before the first revival. Two hours? What if they were discovered?  
“My lady? Can I assist you?”

“Yes, where is the cockpit?”

“It is above, my lady but I am afraid you will not have the clearance to access that area.”

“Is there some kind of monitor or data read down here? I just want to see what is happening around the ship.”

“Oh that, yes my lady, in the ready room where the fresher was you will find a table console. I will inform Scimitar that you are clear to see through her video monitors.”

“Thank you.”

 For two hours, Padme watched the screens, alternating between fear and a strange glee as the droids searched the hangar, reported their failure and all piled out to search the the canal.

Suddenly she heard a voice over the monitor.

“Scimitar. Initiate protocol 98- Authorization Maul 8472545246.”

Padme trotted back down the corridor in time to see the Zabrak leaning against the walls of the tank, the bacta draining around his knees. He slumped all the way down as the last of the bacta drained and the droid opened up the tank and lifted him out and onto the nearby gurney.

“My lady, could you help please?” the droid asked and Padme wordlessly stepped up to pull off the Zabrak’s boots. As she did so she felt a shudder from the ship and heard the sound of its drive firing up. The acceleration was so smoothed it barely rocked them where she and the droid stood, cutting the Zabrak’s robes off.

Padme sliced carefully up one pant leg and down the other, pulling the torn flaps from around where the droids had inserted the various wires in the man’s joints.

Once stripped Padme saw his whole body was tattooed to the point that she wasn’t sure if he was red with black tattoos or black with red tattoos. Red, she decided, based on the fresh skin grown over his middle. It looked barely solid, like the skin over a newborn’s skull.

“Who is he?” she asked the droid, a frown on her face as she studied the Zabrak.

“Lord Maul has not authorized any further clearance for information my lady. I’m sorry.”

Lord Maul she thought. Some sort of nobleman. And the Jedi had sent them away, was he a Force User? Likely given the circumstances. She ran her eyes over his tattoos looking for a clue. None of the Zabraks she knew were marked as such. And he was completely hairless. Not shaved, but literally hairless. She saw this as she was turning his thigh so the droid could reach the vein under his hip. She blushed as she caught herself staring at his cock. Even at rest it was as big around as a bottle of-

“I’m glad you like it, but perhaps you could concentrate on what you’re doing?” The low rasp made her jump out of her skin. The Zabrak’s eyes were still closed but his head had moved and he was clenching and unclenching his fists as the droid slid another needle into his hip. What might be a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth but it was hard to tell with the tattoos. Padme wanted to vanish into the floor in embarrassment. Feeling her cheeks burn she helped the droid get the last tubes in and held the wires clear as it put the man back into the tank. As the bacta was closing over him his eyes came open and he smiled faintly at Padme around the mouth piece. He tipped his head in a clear gesture of thanks and then let his eyes slide shut again. This time the read out on the tank said 17 hours. Padme had time to think.

The downstairs quarters of the ship were spare but well made. There were bunk rooms, and one cleared and padded for training, with racks of weapons on the wall. These rooms were arranged in a circle around the ready room where padme spent most of her time, watching the screens, accessing the news on the holonet and watching their course. It had been clear form the start that they had merely moved into orbit, they circled Naboo, easily avoiding the trade federation ships that came and went from the surface as well as the big orbiting blockade ships.

She managed to sleep, though not much. She was too frightened and worried to sleep more than a snatch at a time and those snatches were filled with nightmares.

  _They had trapped the Neimoidian Viceroy in the Throne room. Padme was opening her mouth to declare victory when the whole side of the building had blown in, killing most of her people and flinging her into the corridor. Droid troops had poured in the gap, surrounding another Neimoidian who was ordering them around, trying in vain to see through the smoke. Amina had appeared out of the haze and yanked the queen to her feet, pushing them down the winding stairs towards the exits._

_They had run into Obi-wan in the south receiving rooms, wielding his saber against a wedge of shielded droids. Padme and Mina had joined the fray, helping the Jedi fall back to another corridor. It was there he told them about Qui Gon. The words had barely been said, and Padme could scarcely draw breath before another blast tossed them to the floor again. It sounded like it came from below so they had hurried down a side corridor. More droids, another nasty fight and an unlucky shot had hit Obi-Wan in the leg and sent him crashing through a window. Padme barely had time to register the spray of blood on her face before Mina had grabbed her arm again, forcing them down more stairs to escape the droids._

_How had things gone so badly? They had the element of surprise, their pilots had flown up, glances out the window showed a heated battle of some kind in the streets between what appeared to be freed Nabooan soldiers and droids. But the droids were always winning. Always winning._

_“My lady- your only role at this time is to escape. You MUST escape. You must return to Curoscant and you must warn the others!” Amina had been ferocious and determined, shaking Padme hard when the Queen seemed to hesitate. Then the last blow-_

_my lady_

_my lady_

_my_

“My lady? My lady? I have revived Lord Maul, and he wishes to speak with you.” The med droid’s timing was good, if nothing else. The nightmare was only getting worse. She splashed some water on her face and followed it back down to medbay where the Zabrak was laying on the gurney, his eyes open and looking better than she would have thought possible. He nodded to her as she came in.

“I owe you my life,” he said simply. His voice was still somewhat hoarse but otherwise clear, the Inner Core accent obvious. “Now we need to make some decisions you and I.” He paused, seemed to be waiting for her to speak. Padme took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“I need to go to Curoscant. I must reach Senator Palpatine. He will know-” she became aware that the Zabrak was growling deep in his chest, and all his teeth were showing in a rictus of fear and anger.

“No. We will not be going to Palpatine. Or Curoscant.” Padme wasn’t Force sensitive but even she could feel how the air thickened and seemed to crackle around them. She clenched her fists by her side, fighting the urge to step backwards.

“Why not? You said you were my prisoner! I want-”

The Zabrak seemed to pull himself together, hiding his feelings behind a shield wall somewhere in his mind. He cleared his throat and seemed to hesitate.

“My master… has cut me off. I failed my mission; my life is forfeit.” He hesitated again, looking around as he thought.

“When he finds out I am alive…” a faint shudder seemed to pass through Maul, though he tried to hide it. “He is on Curoscant. He is… no. That is all you need to know for now.” He brought himself to look at her more directly.

“If I go anywhere near the World City he will sense me. I cannot take you there. He will kill us both. Is there anywhere else you could go?”

Padme didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t ignorant. She was a student of history as well as politics, and incredibly astute for her age.

“You are Sith,” she said flatly, stepping back this time. Half of her common sense told her it was impossible, but the evidence was there before her. A strong Force user, that the Jedi wanted to fight alone, with a Master- two, always. The Rule of Two from Bane. It was impossible but now that she saw it, she couldn’t believe she had missed it earlier.

“How is it possible?” she said, half to herself.

“We have never gone away,” Maul muttered. “But after Naboo...”

“You killed Master Qui Gon,” she said, remembering Obi-wan’s shattering grief as he tried to tell the story.

“I did. And his little Padawan killed me.”

“Killed you?”

“I tell you, I am a dead man.”

“Because you failed to kill the padawan?”

“Yes.”

“If you aren’t a Sith anymore what will you do?” she didn’t really care. It was a question to fill time while her brain scrambled to decide what to do. But his response surprised her. His face was grim but he looked lost. Suddenly it occurred to the Queen that he wasn’t that much older than her, close to Obi-wan’s age in fact. She was opening her mouth to ask something when the ship suddenly jarred from an impact, swerving partially in a way that tossed Padme down and brought Maul to his feet, staggering towards the lift.

“Help me!” he shouted at her and she came up under his arm, wrapping an arm around his waist and running forward with him. He waved the lift open with a gesture and they piled in just as the ship gave another lurch. As the lift door opened he began bellowing directions.

“Scimitar report!”

_collision with an unidentified object heading 0996-37566._

“damage?”

_left front port cloaking device is shorting out. Estimating failure in 23 seconds._

Padme helped Maul into the pilot seat and watched the Sith run through a series of complex calculations.

“turn auxiliary systems down, prepare for hyperspace.”

_Incoming Federations ships, ion cannons engaged._

“Damnit!” Maul grabbed the yoke down and forward and began to fly manually. Padme was flung down and crawled back to the passenger jump seats in the back of the round cockpit room.

“Shields full, bring that fucking hyperdrive online NOW Scimitar!”

_Hyperdrive calculator is misfiring. Unable to boost drive connections to main computer_

“Shit! You! Can you calculate hyperdrive modules?” He was shouting at her she realized.

“Yes, where is your aux dataport?”

“Down. There is a hatch forward- just beyond it is the aux panel.”

 Padme unbuckled and staggered to the lift even as she heard the distinct sound of impact rounds hitting the ship’s shields. She saw Maul maneuvering to return fire, bringing Scimitar’s no doubt formidable armament online.

The calculations took her a few minutes and she thanked her fathers old mech pilot again and again under her breath for teaching her this before she left for Curoscant _._ She felt the ship punch up to hyperspace, a far smoother motion than she had ever experienced outside of the big Nubian class ships. She made her way back to the lift and up to the main deck.

Maul was slumped over in his seat, his arms wrapped around his waist and his head on the console. Padme eased him up and they went back down to the med bay.

“Tank,” was all he said, and she and the droid went through the whole routine again, inserting needles and wires, moving the trembling zabrak into the bacta tank again. He pulled the breather out of his mouth for a moment as the bacta was rising. Padme stepped forward to hear what he had to say. He hesitated but then nodded at her instead, dropping his eyes again.

“Wait! Where are we going?” she asked.

“Wild Space,” he said, and put the breather back in, still not meeting her eye.

She cursed and banged a fist on the tank but it was too late, the bacta was over his head and he was unconscious.

Again Padme found herself pacing around the ship, snatching sleep, watching the holonet and trying to find out what was happening. The news on Naboo was suspiciously vague, or absent completely.

 This time when Maul woke, the med droid brought him to one of the sleeping rooms and the Sith was able to ease himself onto a bunk, facing an indignant Padme.

“Wild Space?” she hissed “Where am I supposed to go in wild space!”

He shook his head.

“I don’t know. Wild Space is one of the few places my master cannot reach. I must disappear. And this ship must disappear. Tell her med1.”

The droid flashed its eyes.

“Scimitar was given to lord Maul by lord Sidious and will return to her former master if he calls. It is only a matter of time. Scimitar’s signature is unique and slaved to Lord Sidious’ own network.”

Maul shook his head, drumming his fingers on the table.

“And those Neimoidian swine will report seeing her. My Master will know I am alive by tomorrow at the latest.” He pounded his fist into his palm.

“I need another ship. And when he summons Scimitar back he will know you were here as well. He will do anything to kill both of us.”

 They discussed the situation back and forth for hours. Padme was able to convince him she could get him another ship. She had no idea how this would happen. But she assumed that Bail Organa would help her and that she could trust him. Maul shook his head.

“You will have to visit in secret. Half his household in on the payroll of the Trade Federation.”

“How do you know?”  
“I placed them there,” he said simply and she shook her head and shivered. When she fell into ‘negotiation mode’ Queen Amidala tended to become single minded, focusing on convincing the person in front of her, winning concessions and making her points. In those moments she almost forgot who she was talking to. Then he would say something like that and she would come back to herself- alone on a ship with an enemy. He was incredibly dangerous himself, but that he was potentially hunted by an even more dangerous master, who could find them at any time… Maul was making it clear that his mysterious Master had people everywhere. She would not be safe. She needed a way to reach the Jedi, without the Sith master knowing…

 Padme still couldn’t sleep- they were two days out from Alderaan and she forced herself to try to sleep- but the nightmares were bad. She usually got up and came out to the ready room to distract herself. Maul was almost always up, meditating in the room used for that purpose or just pacing around the ready room.

“Do you ever sleep?” she snapped at him once, coming out to find him sitting in the dark, meditating. He had caught her off guard.

“I don’t sleep much. Bad dreams,” he muttered, clearly embarrassed.

“Me too,” she said and sat down at one of the monitors to check the news again.  They talked about the lack of news from Naboo, the rumors about her death. They stuck to safe topics, the views from the Palace balconies. The dark seemed to give an unearned intimacy to their talk.

But he seemed distracted. His head was turning this way and that and little shudders were crossing his shoulders again. He opened his mouth to speak when a tone sounded throughout the ship, loud and insistent. A red light was blinking at the nearest console. The med droid suddenly went limp, its eyes blinking in time with the light.

Maul had heaved to his feet and staggered past Padme towards the lift. She followed him, putting an arm around his waist to help hold him up.

“What is it?” she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

Maul gritted his teeth and he tapped the keypad to the lift and they got in.

“Its too late. He knows. I am being summoned,” was all he said, his voice grim. They came up onto the bridge and Padme saw that the red light was blinking on the holonet comm deck. Maul pushed her out of the field of view and fell to his knees on the grid. Immediately a figure appeared, a projection of a man in a thick robe covering most of his face. Only his mouth and the tip of his nose was visible. Padme held her breath and shrank back against the bulkhead.

“My master,” Maul said, his voice raw with emotion.

“So you live? I confess I am not surprised.”

“Yes Master, I survived. We are victorious on Naboo and-”

“Don’t waste my time with information I already know, Lord Maul. And don’t bother trying to hide your failure. The Jedi Padawan Obi Wan Kenobi defeated you and has returned to Curoscant to tell the Council all about the re-emergence of the Sith. You have nearly ruined all.”

“Master, I-”

“Silence. There are only two things left for you to do. The first is to set the Infiltrator on a course to rendezvous with my ship on Curoscant.”

There was a pause, and Padme saw Maul’s shoulders slump, his forehead flat against the floor.

“And you know the other. You must finish what the Padawan started. You are no longer my apprentice. You have been replaced.” The signal flashed off and the commdeck cleared, but Maul stayed on his knees with his face to the deck. Padme understood. She was frozen in place too, her eyes wide as saucers. Finally, she drew a ragged breath.

“That was Senator Palpatine!” It was meant to be an outraged shout but what came out instead was a sort of breathless squeak. She felt like the Palace wall was collapsing again, and she couldn’t see what was happening, or hear anything over the dull roar in her ears.

“Senator Palpatine… is a Sith?” This time it was less squeaky, but no less breathless. She forced herself over to the Zabrak and grabbed his shoulder and shook him hard.

“Senator Palpatine is your _master_?” finally a proper volume. She shook Maul harder, gaining strength. She was shouting now, feeling her limbs loosen as anger began to push out her fear.

“ _W_ _as_ my master.” Maul said, his face still on the floor. “was… was…”

“We have to do something!” Padme shouted, yanking Maul by the arm. He snapped his arm back and flung her to the floor in a move she couldn’t quite follow.

“Did you hear _nothing_ he said?” the Zabrak snarled. “I am to kill myself and send this ship back to her master. Yes, Senator Palpatine is a Sith master. And I am a dead man- as I have been telling you _all! along!”_ this last came out in a choked bellow and Padme’s jaw dropped open as she looked over at him. He clambered up slowly and limped to the pilot seat where he began to program the drives. Padme jumped up.

“You won’t! You can’t!” she screamed coming after him and shoving him away from the console. A vague part of her understood that if he were any more recovered he would have killed her out of hand, but instead he fell over with a grunt.

“You can’t be serious!” she screamed. “You are not seriously going to do what he asked!” He staggered up and she shoved him again, beside herself with anger.

“You’re insane! He is on the other side of the galaxy! He-”

Maul’s whole body was slumped, he was wheezing and his arm was curled protectively over the scar on his stomach. He wouldn’t meet her eye. She drew herself up.

“You will take me to the Jedi.”

“No.” Invoking the Jedi got his attention.

“I insist. There is a temple on Alderaan. You will get me in without being detected to meet Plo Koon. You _will_ do this! You owe me your _life_!”

He hung his head, his breath coming in little pants. Padme snapped her mouth shut. She knew this point in the negotiations. Now was the time to remain silent, to let your opponent explore the corners of the box you had maneuvered them into. She was only partially convinced that the Zabrak would comply. Injured or not, he was as likely to kill her as follow her. But nothing risked nothing gained…

The silence grew thicker- then the Zabrak shook his head like a dog and looked at her, his eyes wide and haggard. He licked his lips once and then gave the briefest of nods. Padme clenched her jaw and nodded back then helped the former Sith to his feet. He turned back to the controls.

“Scimitar. Access Maul 74654676. Override 22 deltadelta. Engage directive 6 bravo delta.”

_Override 22 deltadelta confirmed. Directive sixbravodelta engaged. Lord Maul-_

Yes, Scimitar?

_This is the last directive I will be able to engage._

Maul chewed his lip then nodded.

“Understood. Set a course for Alderaan.”

He was silent as they descended the lift again. The med droid had moved itself back into its lock position by the bacta tank, powered off. Maul hissed in frustration when he saw.

“Damn it. I need at least one more float. Help me get over to that bucket of bolts.”

Padme helped him maneuver into a seated position by the droid and knelt by his side, carefully out of immediate reach.

“Oh I could reach you if I wanted, your Majesty,” the Zabrak said as he shifted over to access the droids side panel. Looking straight at her he waved a hand and the panel tore off, zipping right by her head and burying itself in the wall of a mech crate across the room. Padme flinched, but only slightly. Maul never blinked. Their eyes locked for a moment but it was the Sith ( _former Sith_ she reminded herself) who looked away first. With another gesture he floated a toolbox to himself and began to work on the Droid’s inner works. Padme cleared her throat, recognizing how fragile their peace was.

“So you know droids? How to fix them?” she asked. Maul grunted in the affirmative, pulling out the droid’s motivator and setting it aside. Apparently that was as much as he was going to say. Well that was fine. It was hard enough managing her own grief without wondering about what the Sith was doing.

Her thoughts strayed to Obiwan Kenobi- he had survived according to Palpatine. Padme allowed herself that small happiness. It was only a tiny counterweight to the losses she had suffered, but Qui Gon’s apprentice has seemed a good sort, kind hearted and brave. She hoped little Anakin was with him. She sensed the boy was alive somehow- though nearly no one else had survived the onslaught. Naboo… She wondered what was happening there now…

“They are looking for _you_ is what’s happening,” the Zabrak said, interrupting her thoughts. Had he been able to hear what she was thinking? Qui Gon had showed that ability…

Maul was leaning back, sucking on one of his red and black knuckles. The droid was emitting a series of beeps and clicks and seemed to be coming on line.

“You did it!”

The Zabrak nodded and patted the droid lightly on its side.

“Lord Maul- you have bypassed my directives. How was this accomplished?” med1 said, turning its head right and left.

“Never you mind. Help me get in that damn tank. We have 2 jumps until our next destination and then I will be leaving.”

The droid rolled forward smoothly and levered its arm under Maul’s shoulders and heaved him up. Padme stood as well, unsure of what to do. Maul glanced at her under his brows-

“You have me now, Queen Amidala; make your plans. We don’t have much time.” She nodded and headed back to the ready room and the comms sets.

\----- 

Even cloaked Padme thought she could make out Scimitar’s retreating shape, a slight shimmer in the stars. Maul was crouched down by her feet, going through the bag of supplies he had brought, muttering to himself. In his black robes he was almost impossible to see under the trees. He stood finally and looked up where Padme was tracking the faint trace of the ship. He grunted and shook his head.

“A shame really.” he said, his voice hard with suppressed anger. “That ship and I accomplished much together.” Padme was opening her mouth to speak when there was a sudden flare in the sky, red and gold. It winked out almost immediately.

“Was that--”

“Of course. Can’t have her reporting anything about where we are.”  
“Won’t he know it blew above Alderaan?”

“No. I overrode the tracking code to show us still heading to Wild Space. If we are very careful, and I am not seen here, then he won’t know where I have gone.”

“Won’t he assume you killed yourself?” Padme asked. The Zabrak gave a short bark of laughter.

“Of course not. He knows me better than that. What matters is that I don’t believe he sensed you in my mind. So when you turn up here he won’t connect that to me.”

“We hope.”

“Yes.”

They stood looking at the stars a moment longer before Maul turned and began to guide them through the woods towards Alderaan’s royal city. It was night and pitch black under the trees and Padme followed as best she could, but woodcraft was not exactly part of her background. She smacked her face on a branch, tripped over roots, got caught on thorns. Finally, Maul stopped dead in front of her.

“You are making more noise than a flock of geese,” he hissed. “We need to stay in this woodline for at least another klick- and there are guards all over the place!” Padme glared at him, hands on her hips.

“I am not trained in this!” she whispered furiously. “I am doing my best!”

“Your best isn’t good enough!”

“So find another way!”

“There is no other way!”

Nose to nose, they kept their voices low despite their growing anger at each other. Padme threw up her arms in exasperation.

“You will either have to go slower or give me some kind of light then!” she whispered.

“Are you mad? A _light_?” Maul’s voice came out louder than he expected at this stupidity.

“Unless you have a better idea!”

“Hold this,” he said, handing her the pack he had been wearing. He peeled off his cloak and wrapped it around Padme’s shoulders. Then he crouched down with his back to her.

“Get on. Wrap the cloak around you and keep your head down,” he snarled. Padme hesitated, but couldn’t think of a good response. So she shouldered the pack and wrapped the cloak tighter before climbing onto the Sith’s back. He tucked his arms under her knees and she grabbed hold of his neck, scrabbling for purchase as he surged to his feet. He let out a strangled grunt.

“Get your fucking arms off my throat!” he said, adjusting his hold.

“ok ok ok-“ Padme shifted her arms and pulled the cloak tight again. After a moment of adjustment, the Sith set off again as silent as before.

Padme felt a moment of vertigo at the unreality of the situation. The Zabrak still smelled faintly of bacta, but otherwise there was no indication of the insanity of the last week. He was warm and feeling the four-part beat of his hearts between her arms and her chest was soothing. Between keeping her head tucked tight to his shoulder to prevent being caught on branches, and the cloak around her she was quite snug. And as exhausted as she had been it was no wonder when she began to doze.

She awoke a split second before being dropped unceremoniously to the ground. She landed on her bottom with a thump and an un-queenly curse.

“Ow! Why?!” she barked, feeling somewhat embarrassed. How long had she slept?

“We are here,” was all Maul said, stretching his back and yawning hugely. Padme limped to her feet and stood beside him to look. The first rays of sun were creeping over the hills and they were just at the end of the woodline. Below them, still in shadow, was Aldera the capital of Alderaan.

\-----

Plo Koon listened to the queen without interrupting. Only the subtle stand of his body indicated that the Jedi Master was prepared for instantaneous violent action. Hi eyes never left the Zabrak while Padme spoke and she wasn’t sure he even believed her. When her story was done (omitting several embarrassing details like the Queen of Naboo being carried around like a child) Plo Koon said nothing. Padme was opening her mouth to speak again when Maul held up a hand.

“Don’t bother. He believes. He is trembling in his little Jedi boots. He’s just good at hiding it.” The Zabrak chuckled darkly. The Jedi rose smoothly.

“If you will excuse me, my lady, I must send a message,” he said flatly and stepped across the room to a comm set. Padme sought out Maul’s eyes and he shrugged. She could tell he was eager to be away. But she had needed his skill for entering the temple unnoticed. So here they were. She had insisted on going to the Jedi first, before the palace. She was confident in her ability to convince Bail Organa to turn over a ship, but she wasn’t as sure about convincing this strange Jedi of the claim that her own Senator was a Sith Lord.

“You are sure he believes?” she whispered. Even now she barely believed herself. Maul nodded briefly, his eyes sweeping from the Jedi, to the door, to the windows, and back to the Jedi again in a steady motion.

“He experienced an intense spike of anxiety and then an unusual bout of self-anger. He believes. More importantly, he _knows_ it is true.”

 The Jedi returned to them, again subtly angling his body towards the Zabrak but addressing Padme.

“Queen Amidala. I must insist you stay here this evening. Even the palace is dangerous in the next few days. No one must learn you are here. Things have changed and your life is in extreme danger.”

“I must speak with Senator Organa,” she said, “or his wife if the Senator is on Curoscant.”

“I will ask Queen Breha to come here. You can wait in our guest quarters,” Master Koon said. “Now, about your… prisoner… is it? I have to say he doesn’t seem much like a prisoner.” It was hard to tell if the Jedi was angry or not through his rebreather. Padme grimaced.

“Not a prisoner per se. We have an agreement.”

“Ah.”

“A ship, Jedi," Maul growled. "All I need is a ship and you won’t hear from me again.”

“Is that so?”

Padme sensed a subtle shift in the room, as though something were about to happen. While part of her knew perfectly well that the Zabrak was a murderer and should be brought to justice, another part had accepted their strange bargain, and would not break her word.

“Yes.” She said. “A ship.” She placed herself directly between the two, her back to Maul, staring hard at the Jedi.

“Breha will give me what I need. There is no need for the Temple to concern itself,” she said coolly, raising her chin in a way her friends would have recognized. Maul chuckled darkly behind her.

“There will be no battle I’m afraid Master Jedi- you will have to test your sword on someone else,” he said. Plo Koon nodded his head.

“A pity. No Jedi has fought a Sith in a thousand years.”

“Oh, when you connect with the Temple on Curoscant you may find that isn’t _exactly_ true,” Maul said as he strode out the door on Padme’s heels. Padme glanced back to see the flash of the Zabrak’s teeth as he heard the Jedi curse. She frowned.

“Your arrogance is disgusting. I should have let him kill you. Qui Gon Jinn was my friend.”

“Who is Qui Gon Jinn?”

She whirled to face him but he was perfectly serious, his head cocked in curiosity.

“Qui Gon Jinn was the Jedi Master you _murdered_ , you bastard! He was my _friend_ and a good man!” She shoved the former Sith hard and turned away, suddenly regretting everything about her defense of him. Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! She would not cry in front of this monster, she would NOT.

She heard his footsteps catch up to her but he said nothing, merely trotting easily behind her as she swept down the hall to the room the Jedi had prepared. Padme threw herself onto a spare but beautiful couch, watching the morning light play across the garden outside, her back firmly to Maul. There were younglings in the garden playing. They floated balls back and forth, running up and down and shouting with laughter. Padme found solace in their game, thinking of little Anakin Skywalker. But that brought her mind back to Obi-Wan and the grief he must be feeling. She heard the Sith clear his throat.

“It was a good fight,” he said musingly. “Exactly what the return of the Sith should have been. Until the Padawan killed me.”

Padme clenched her jaw. “Obi-Wan. Didn’t. Kill. You.”  She managed. With the loss of the intimacy of the ship, the panic of their escape, it seemed all of her more normal reactions were bubbling to the surface.

“Is that his name? The little Padawan did kill me," Maul snapped. "The building shook or he would have cut me completely in half. My life as I know it, everything I have ever done, everything I have ever hoped for, my very place in the galaxy is gone.” The bitterness in his voice startled Padme. “I am a dead man the moment I am recognized. And my face…” He gestured abruptly at his face, taking in the tattoos, the horns. There was no need to say it. He was instantly recognizable. She felt a twinge of pity but squashed it ruthlessly. He was glaring at her, the gold and red eyes full of malice and helpless rage.

“And if he dies? If the Jedi capture him? If they kill him?” Padme asked, her own anger spiking. “What will you do? Will you atone for your crimes? Will you simply disappear, return to Iridonia and take up a trade? Live like a normal citizen? I doubt it!”

“Dathomir,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I was taken from Dathomir,” he said again, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. He spun and smashed his fist into the wall behind him, breaking through the plaster and cracking the beam behind it. Padme leapt to her feet.

“They will _not_ kill him. They cannot! There is no point in even imagining it! He will thwart them, he _always_ does. I cannot allow myself to think otherwise!” He bellowed and began to pace back and forth. “Where is your friend?! I must be gone from this place!”

Padme arched an eyebrow and opened her mouth to answer but the door opened and Breha walked in, the head of her household guard and two Jedi at her back. Plo Koon and his Padawan, judging by her braid. Padme threw herself at her friend and they clung to each other weeping and laughing at the same time. Maul had retreated to the corner by the window, his body a coiled spring. Plo Koon ignored him but the Padawan was staring at the Zabrak with her mouth open.

“Oh Padme my dearest one! We thought you lost! We were so sure! You must stay with us, you MUST. Bail would not have it any other way,” Queen Breha said, cupping her friend’s face.

“Her majesty must stay here for another day at least,” the Jedi said. “There are events taking place which will reshape the entire galaxy. It would be better if the Queen was still assumed killed on Naboo.” Maul snorted.

“Your _events_ won’t matter Jedi- now when will I get my ship?” he asked, his soft, cultured voice dripping scorn. But Padme sensed her strange ally was afraid, genuinely afraid. She looked at him and their eyes met again. This time the anger was mostly gone.

“Yes. We need a ship Breha. Something big, with a good interstellar pack. Stock it fully, I will cover whatever expenses are needed.”

“Oh Padme, there is no need-” Breha started. Maul barked a laugh.

“There is no need at all Queen Amidala," the Sith said. "I can pay my own way. I just need the ship. As we agreed.”

“As we agreed,” she repeated and nodded her head, turning to Breha again. “How soon can this be done Breha?” she asked. Breha hesitated, looking at the Jedi Master. A low growl began in Maul’s chest and his lip curled.

“They intend to betray us,” he said flatly and his saber staff flew off his belt and smacked into his palm. He threw down his bag and cloak and squared up to the Jedi.

“You will not keep me here,” he said softly. “I will kill every Jedi in this Temple if I have to.” The Padawan gasped and drew her sword, the green blade humming to life. At that Maul ignited his, _only one side_ Padme noticed detachedly, even as the room was erupting into pandemonium.

“Stop this now!” Master Plo Koon bellowed, shoving his Padawan out the door with the Force and simultaneously moving between Maul and the others in the room. He held out both hands to the Sith, palms out, showing his empty hands. Maul bounced lightly on his toes, his eyes darting from the Jedi to the blasters of the guard leveled at him. The menace coming off of him was terrifying. She was reminded forcibly of the moment they had first seen him on Naboo, the dismay that he had followed them from Tattooine.

“Stop this now, young Sith. We have not betrayed you. You will get your ship.” The Jedi was saying calmly. Maul sneered.

“Talk fast Jedi, before I cut you all down on my way out.”

“You will have your ship!” Breha shouted from behind the Jedi. Her voice barely stuttered at all. “You know I am not lying. It is already on the launchpad behind the palace. It is a Nubian class voyager! We have your ship! Please! Wait and listen!”

Padme admired her friend in that moment. She was opening up her mind to the Sith who gazed hard at her for a moment before lowering his blade. He sneered at the Jedi-

“Talk.”

“You must see that we cannot allow you to leave until we have moved against your master. You _must_ see our position on that. It would be impossible. You must stay here with us, and the queen, for at least a day or two. My brothers and sisters are moving against the Chancellor even now. We simply _cannot_ risk that you would communicate with him.” The Jedi said reasonably, folding his hands into his sleeves. Padme saw the sense of this, even knowing Maul’s current situation didn’t change who he was, what he might do to return to Palpatine’s good graces. Taking a deep breath, she stepped around the Jedi and took a few steps towards the Zabrak.

“Maul,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes on his. “We have an agreement. You will get your ship and you will leave without any further interference. You have my word on that. Let’s stay here a day or two. You can finish…” she didn’t say healing, not willing to reveal his weakened state but he understood. “We both need to rest, and hide, and see what comes of the Jedi’s actions.” Maul was looking from her to Breha, apparently coming to some sort of decision.

Without warning he shot a hand out and snatched Padme’s arm, spinning her around hard, back against his chest with her arm twisted behind her. He cut off his saber and jammed the emitter under her chin. His breath was ragged against her ear. Padme cried out in pain and surprise. The emitter burned and the pain jerked tears from her eyes before she could stop herself.

“I will stay.” The Sith said softly. “I trust the Queen, but I do not trust you Jedi. So we will stay here, and wait, together.”

Plo Koon’s face remained expressionless but he gave a slight bow and backed out of the room, pushing Queen Breha and her guard out as well. As soon as they were gone Maul shoved Padme away and strode across the room, locking the door. He waved a hand and an enormous desk floated in from the other room to come to a rest against the door, blocking it. He paced over to the windows to look out but as he passed Padme she struck, punching him hard on the jaw, her anger lending strength to her arm. He grunted and staggered then stared at her in surprise.

“Why?” he asked in a dangerous voice.

“You didn’t have to take me hostage!” she shouted. “What about our agreement? Are you suggesting my word means nothing? I am the _Queen of Naboo_ you downlevel nerf herder!” She took another step towards him and he blinked. A smile touched the corner of his mouth and he tilted his horns at her.

“I trust your word. Do I trust you? Hmmm…” He shook his head and stepped up to her, his grin flashing too many teeth. “I do not trust the Jedi. They would kill me out of hand. No matter that my master has rejected me. They know I am a Sith, and that is enough for them. They can break your word for you.”

Padme spun on her heel and went back to the window. After a moment Maul joined her.

“For what its worth,” he said quietly, “I didn’t mean to burn you. I should have used the other side. I’m not used to having…”

“Allies?” she snapped at him, gingerly touching the painful spot under her jaw. It felt like it would scar. She needed to put some bacta on it.

“Yes. No!” he said, sounding resentful. She raised an eyebrow at him.

She went into the fresher and found a bacta patch kit. She handed it to him and tilted her head up so he could put the patch in the right place. He peeled the backings and applied the patch with minimal fuss, his hands sure and business-like.

“What will you do? Really. If he dies, I mean,” she asked. He hesitated, folding the patch backings into increasingly complex shapes while he thought about it. He dropped his eyes, his jaw working.

“I don’t know,” he said quietly.

“Back to Dathomir?”

“No. I was taken when I was young, and the males there are kept as slaves and breeders for the witches.”

“Kept as slaves? I didn’t know...”

“Its an isolated world, Queen Amidala, far from the Core and your politics.”

“I have been learning that. There are many places the Republic has failed. When I return to Curoscant I am going to change that,” she said, her chin rising again. Another small smile touched the Zabrak’s face and he shrugged.

“Maybe you will be Chancellor,” he said.

“I could be,” she replied, perfectly serious. She patted the bacta patch and went into the further room, austere like the rest of the Temple, a bed, the scuffs where the desk had been, some hooks and a shelf of books. That was it.

“These Jedi deprive themselves needlessly. I have never understood why,” Maul muttered, looking around

“And how do you live then?” she snapped. She was too tired for any of this. A flash of teeth from the Sith- something like a smile.

“Usually much rougher than this on missions and as a child. But since coming into my Lordship I have kept a nice place on Curoscant, and a few others here and there.” He dropped onto the bed with his hands behind his head.

“You’d like the place on Curoscant. It faces the art district. Even has a garden.” He said dreamily. Then his face hardened. “I am sure it is a smoldering ruin by now- as are all the others.”

They were brought food in the evening and spare clothes, but otherwise they heard nothing.

Padme watched the sun go down over the mountains, staying until the last pink glow faded from the peaks. Her thoughts vaguely returning to Scimitar she went into the other room and curled up on the lone bed, her back to Maul, who was snoring lightly. He grunted when she stretched out.

“I miss my ship,” he muttered. She smiled and nodded, understanding he meant more than the actual ship. Somehow being alone in the quiet room seemed to be restoring some of their intimacy. The thought made Padme shudder.

Another day passed. Padme was bored out of her mind, restless and frustrated. Maul seemed unfazed, meditating and sleeping in turns, eating everything they put in front of him, barely speaking. He could sit meditating for hours. It was making Padme crazy.

“How can you just _sit_ there?!” she shouted. One golden eye slid open and regarded her briefly before closing again.

“Your entire life is being decided without you! The fate of the galaxy! How can you be so calm?!” She was pacing back and forth, waving her arms. Maul sighed.

“My entire life, and usually the fate of the galaxy as well, is _always_ being decided without me. I was the apprentice, remember? Having to stay somewhere and wait for word, or orders, or the slightest scrap of information… that was my entire life until I became _Darth_ Maul and had some independence. Then at least I could do what I wanted in between assignments. But the practice of waiting calmly has not left me.” His eyes stayed closed and his breathing never shifted.

“But if you really want to know what is happening,” he said. “We can find out.” Padme froze.

“Really? How?” she asked, Maul opened his eyes again and frowned at her.

“We are not confined here. We can go wherever we want,” he said.

“What? They said-” she waved at the door. He cocked his head at her.

“Queen Amidala, do you really think I am doing what the Jedi are telling me to do? I am here because this is as good a place as any to wait out events on Curoscant.”

“Oh.” Padme felt slightly foolish. Of course they could leave. Who could stop them?

“Would you like me to get you out of here? I would enjoy a stroll around the Temple grounds,” he said calmly but Padme sensed a certain malicious glee under the surface. She fought the urge to smile and lost.

“You are awful. The poor Padawans…”

“Bah, it will be good for them. I have been in many Jedi Temples over the years, always very discreet.”

“But I bet you wished you could reveal yourself,” Padme guessed. The flash of teeth again.

“Perhaps,” he said simply and Padme threw her head back and laughed. The first laugh since Naboo. Since Tattooine? Since when?

Maul blinked in surprise then cracked somewhat of a smile himself.

“My master made me work in the kitchens of the Temple on Jeddah.” He mused. “I washed Jedi dishes for months, mopped the floors, was beaten by the cook, ordered around by younglings, burned my fingers on hot stoves.” Padme gaped at him.

“Really?” she asked incredulously. It was hard to imagine the Sith washing dishes.

He seemed to come out of his reverie suddenly and dropped his eyes with a grimace. He rose smoothly to his feet and stretched.

“Let’s go see what the Jedi are doing,” he said, summoning his staff from across the room and clipping it to his belt. With a wave of his hand the desk moved and the door opened. With a sigh of relief Padme swept out, heading down the hall, the Sith at her shoulder.

They encountered very few Jedi, just two young knights, each with a long tail of younglings. Both stood firmly between the Sith and the children until they had passed. Padme could sense that Maul was enjoying their reactions. They wandered through to the outside and strolled around the garden. It wasn’t long before Plo Koon found them. Maul had stripped down to his trousers and was doing forms, his saber humming and crackling as he moved. Queen Amidala was torn between admiration for the speed and acrobatics of the Sith’s style, and a deep ache for poor Qui Gon, unprepared to face such an opponent. She wished she had the chance to speak to him once more, get his advice…

Master Kloon stood on the far side of the shady spot they had found, watching impassively. When Maul finished his forms he flipped the saber off and rolled into a crouch before standing and breathing a deep sigh of contentment.

“I see you did not find your accommodations… comfortable?” the Jedi asked. Padme raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak but Maul jumped in.

“Comfortable but boring Jedi. When can I leave?” he snapped, yanking his shirt back on.

“Tomorrow. The Sith Master is in custody,” Plo Koon said placidly. Padme gasped, a smile wreathing her features. She turned to Maul with shining eyes.

“Its done! We did it!” She cried. She grabbed him by the arm and shook him, bouncing on her toes. He shook her off and stepped away.

“In custody means nothing," he said. "I want to be away. I am sure one of your fool Jedi revealed my presence to him already. I must have that ship.”

“They could not reveal what they do not know. I told no one of either the queen’s or your presence here. And I have personally shut down all communications from this facility since you arrived. He does not know.” Maul laughed and Padme blinked at the pain buried there.

“You are fools if you believe that. Where is the ship I was promised?!” Padme felt suddenly very uneasy. The Sith was convincing in his naked fear and anger at the Jedi.

“You may board the ship tonight, after dark,” he said. “But hear me, Sith. Once you are gone, we will not forget you. Obi-Wan Kenobi has been knighted and he will be looking for you, as will many others. Qui Gon Jinn was well loved.” His eyes sought out Padme’s at this last and she felt a tightening in her throat. Obi-Wan was a knight now!

“And Anakin? Is he well?” she blurted out. The little slave boy had not deserved the mess they dragged him into. Plo Koon shrugged.

“If you mean the boy, he is an initiate of the Temple now, and Obi-Wan is his master.”

“He will turn to the Dark Side,” Maul muttered, pulling his tunic on.

“Don’t say that!” Padme shouted, whirling to face the Sith. He seemed surprised at the venom in her voice.

“I am not saying anything untrue!” he protested. “The boy _will_ turn. Even I saw that. He is the most powerful force user I have ever seen. He shone like the sun…” He seemed to be musing, looking at something in his own memories perhaps. “But he _will_ turn. And when he does…”  
“Be _QUIET_!” Padme’s voice was low and dangerous and her fists were clenched at her side. Maul blinked but then gave a brief shrug. He turned back towards the temple and strolled away, wiping his hands of them all.

“My lady… While I have you,” Master Koon said. Padme turned and gave the Jedi Master a fierce hug. He was caught off guard but then returned the gesture, even tapping his forehead lightly against hers.

“You have brought me wonderful news Master Jedi," Padme said. "I am so very grateful. It has been an awful time. I long to return to Curoscant to begin the retaking of my planet.”

“I am sure you do, daughter. When the Sith is gone we will bring you to Curoscant on a Republic Ship, under Jedi escort, so that you may take your rightful place,” he said. She smiled and was opening her mouth to speak when they heard screaming from the direction of the Temple, and the sound of several voices shouting and calling. The screaming rose in pitch and volume before abruptly cutting off.

As they ran forward they nearly collided with a youngling, who skidded to a halt and then ran with them.

“Master! It’s the Sith! He is dying!”

Padme sprinted ahead of the Jedi and rounded the corner in time to see the Jedi turning over the limp form of the Sith. Maul was unconscious and blood was flowing from his nose and ears.

Plo Koon shoved her unceremoniously out of the way and laid both hands on Maul’s face, ignoring the blood that smeared his hands. Even Padme felt the pulse of the Force that burst out from Jedi Master. She stood back, her hand over her mouth. Flashes of the palace intruded into her vision, and Mina, the bodies, the Sith’s wound, the scrabble to the ship, the fear-

One of the Padawans was babbling.

“He came around the corner and I saw him. I thought he was going to speak to me then he suddenly screamed and grabbed his head!” The youngling held his fists up to his temples to show. “Then even as I stepped towards him he fell over! I thought he would choke so I turned him but he screamed and screamed and screamed then…”

An older Jedi touched the boy on the shoulder.

“Ssshhhhhh Padawan. Its alright. You did well. What happened Master?” this last was directed to Plo Koon but it was Padme who spoke.

“His master is dead,” she said in a harsh whisper, her eyes huge and face pale. She felt sick and slid to her knees. Plo looked at her and nodded.

“I didn’t want to say anything until I knew- but the timing is correct. Mace Windu ordered the execution himself.”

Maul’s body jerked and he seemed to struggle before falling still again. PLo Koon stood up and gestured to the two knights.

“Bring him. We will make him as comfortable as possible and see what he has to say when he wakes.”

 Padme insisted they return to the room they shared, and made the Jedi lay the Sith on the bed. He was soaked in sweat and trembling head to toe, though his ears and nose had stopped bleeding. The fresh skin on his stomach had several small tears. Padme made the others leave. She didn’t want Maul to come to surrounded by Jedi. They brought her food and fresh clothes and more bacta just in case.

The Queen wiped the sweat away and cleaned up the blood around Maul’s head. Her hands were shaking and reality was cracking somewhat under the onslaught. Her mind kept taking her back aboard Scimitar and the fear and smell and chaos of their first few days. She wiped away the sweat and blood as much to push those terrible thoughts away as to be kind to the Sith himself. She stripped him again, putting bacta patches where needed and wiping his clammy skin. Eventually her thoughts began to calm and she was able to unclench her jaw, shake the hunch out of her shoulders. She took several deep breaths and then lay down, squeezing on the edge of the bed, her spirit exhausted and stunned.

 It was dark when she woke and it took several moments to place where she was. For a short blissful minute, she thought that the whole thing had been a dream, and that she was back at Youth Leadership camp, stealing kisses in the moonlight with the governor’s son. But as the weight of reality came back, she gradually realized that she and the Sith had curled around each other in a tangle of limbs. He was making small whimpering noises, likely the sound that had woken her. She patted his back absently, making unthinking shushing noises and she tried to piece together the situation. Maul was stirring, and opened his eyes slowly, blinking at Padme.

“He is gone,” he said quietly. Padme nodded, feeling a tiny spike of joy at the thought. She could go home… “I must leave,” he continued. “I will go and take the ship your friend has left. Better they just find me gone.” He started to move but Padme held him still.

“Why? You don’t have to be afraid, now. He is dead,” She said. He arched an eyebrow but settled again.

“The Jedi will hunt me. As will many others. My Master had allies, plans in place…”

“You could be a valuable source of information for the Republic.”

“Never!” he hissed. She drew back and he sighed.

“No,” he said more quietly. “I do not want to go that far. Better I just vanish.” He was making no move to get up, even closed his eyes again, running his thumb back and forth across her shoulder blade.

A part of Padme’s mind was asking what in the worlds she thought she was doing. She should get up, thank the Sith for his help and tell him where the ship was.

“Where will you go?” she asked instead. He shrugged.

“Out. You will have enough issues dealing with the core. I can hide in the Outer Rim for a time, decide what to do.” Padme shook her head and curled in closer, adjusting her arms.

“There will be so much to do,” she whispered. “Taking back Naboo will be hard.”

“You will find that without Palpatine, the Trade Federation will mysteriously concede to any demand you wish,” Maul rumbled.

“He was behind it all?”

“Of course. I wasn’t there for the views.” He rubbed his forehead on hers slightly and she closed her eyes.

“Queen Amidala-”

“What?”

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t know- be quiet while I decide how I feel about being wrapped around a murderer.”

He didn’t say anything but she felt the slight shake of his shoulders, a laugh of some kind. They were quiet for awhile. Padme didn’t have any further insights but ran her fingers slowly along the top of Maul’s shoulder. He shifted up and ghosted his lips across her forehead, breathing into her hair.

“you smell like bacta,” he said. She leaned in and smelled his neck and the base of his throat.

“So do you actually,” she said matter-of-factly. “And since I’m the one who has patched you up continuously for the last couple of weeks it makes sense that I do too.”

He grunted and pulled her in closer.

“I am not good at expressing myself. But I am grateful for… everything,” he said.

“The benefit was mutual.” Their hands were wandering now, slowly but with growing purpose. Maul cleared his throat and paused.

“Queen Amidala,” he said, his palms flat against her back, right on the hem of her shirt.

“Padme,” she corrected absently, tracing the tattoos on his chest with the pads of her fingers.

“Padme. What is happening here?” he asked again. This time she pulled back enough to look at him, eye to eye.

“This,” she said and tilted her mouth to his for a kiss. The effect was instantaneous. They went from the lightest touching of lips to devouring each other, their teeth mashing and awkward. Padme sat up and yanked off her shirt before swooping down on him again, her hands roaming over his chest, shoulders, and back of his neck. When she reached up and stroked his horns he pulled back with a gasp.

“Don’t do that if you have any intention of stopping this,” he said in a hoarse voice. She shook her head and pulled him towards her again, running her thumbs around the base of his horns and down the sides of his face.

He paused to wriggle out of his shorts and then rolled her under him, burying his face in her breasts, lapping at them and nipping the sensitive undersides. When he took her hardened nipple into his mouth she moaned and arched her back. His tongue was slightly rough, like a cat’s, and that rasping suck was almost too much to bear.

He pulled them both up onto their knees to kiss again, both his strong hands kneading her buttocks while she snaked a hand between them to palm his cock.

“Oh Force- I’ve wanted you,” he gasped. She could feel the grin on his face as she kissed him. “I’ve wanted you so badly.”

She responded by squeezing him hard and he grunted and yanked her pants down, tipping her backwards onto the bed. She was still trying to kick free when he dipped down and buried his face between her legs, sucking and licking-  almost too hard. He was gentle with her clit, rubbing it softly with the pad of his thumb while he ran his tongue around her opening. As he pushed a finger into her, never stopping his slow licks she felt the first build in tension towards orgasm- “don’t stop don’t stop-oh please…” was all she could manage as it built and began to crest. He made some kind of affirmative noise she didn’t need to understand but kept the steady stroke of his thumb in synch with his mouth. A second finger joined the first, stroking her channel and Padme arched up and came, waves breaking over her, her fists gripping his horns and she sobbed ‘yes yes yes’ to the rafters.

She barely drew breath and he was above her, mashing his mouth against hers and sliding his knees up under her hips. His breath was coming in short pants as he lined up the drooling head of his cock to her still spasming opening. For a moment he met her eyes and she understood. He was asking. The gesture made her smile but she arched up to meet him, tilting her neck back and pulling him down on her. With a grunt he pushed forward, burying himself in one long shove, covering her face and throat with kisses.

She reached up and stroked the base of his horns again and he moaned into her open mouth.

“I won’t last long at all if you do that,” he managed, his hips stuttering in their rhythm.

“Don’t hold back,” she gasped. She felt hot and full and the friction was pulling another orgasm from her like a dragging undertow. He came with a growl, shoving his full length in hard and grinding against her clit again. She followed almost immediately, clamping down on him and arching her back hard enough to lift off the bed before collapsing flat, panting and trembling.

They lay still for a moment and Maul rubbed his forehead on hers, back and forth, as their breathing slowed. A low rumble was coming from somewhere in his chest. It sounded suspiciously like a purr but he didn’t even seem aware he was doing it.

He eased himself out and off of her with a sigh, rolling to the side and taking her into his arms again. Neither spoke, not wanting to break the quiet spell. After a moment Padme got up and padded to the fresher to splash some cold water on her face and drink. She smiled at her reflection in the half light, her legs still trembling slightly. When she came back and curled up again Maul was sleeping, the low purr still reverberating under his breath.

They did the whole thing again an hour later, and then again in the fresher. The barest light was starting to appear on the horizon as they toweled off and dressed quickly, heading for the hanger Breha had described. The ship was there as promised, the lone guard asleep while leaning on a mech crate off to the side.

Maul cleared his throat as they looked at each other. Padme shivered but managed a tired smile.

“Maybe we will see each other again,” she offered. He shrugged and pulled her into a rough hug.

“I am in your debt Queen Amidala,” he said formally with a slight bow. She shook her head and laughed.

“The debt has been paid, Lord Maul. Go safely and May the Force be with you.”

“And with you, my lady,” he said. With a last flash of teeth, he turned and trotted up the ramp of the sleek ship. It closed behind him and Padme stepped off the pad. She shook the guard and when he woke with a start she guided him safely away as well. The ship hummed to life and began to fire its thrusters, hovering and turning towards the rising sun.

“My lady, what…?” the guard asked but Padme waved him quiet, watching the ship lift off and make its curve up and out of the atmosphere. Just before it vanished from sight the big cruiser gave a little dip of its wing, flashing a glare of sun, a last goodbye before streaking up out of sight.

“Now,” Padme said to the guard. “Tell Queen Breha that I will come and see her today after breakfast. If she needs me sooner, I am at the Temple.” He nodded, still slightly slack jawed and she turned and went back the way she had come, her back straight and head high.

 


End file.
